California’s political leaders pledged to advance the state’s landmark laws on climate change and fend off challenges from opponents such as oil companies.
“We’re just at the beginning,” Gov. Jerry Brown said. “There’s still lots of skeptics and lots of deniers.”
Brown and top lawmakers spoke at a conference Monday hosted by Tom Steyer, a major Democratic donor who has wielded his financial clout to urge action on climate change, and the event was a mix of wonky policy discussions and pep rally speeches.
At one point, Steyer unspooled a long “Star Wars” metaphor comparing oil companies to Darth Vader and environmental activists to noble Jedi warriors.
California has set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the amount of energy generated from renewable sources by 2020, but discussions have begun about expanding the programs and making new goals.
Lawmakers said ideas under consideration would set tighter limits on pollutants like methane and make the transportation of water more energy-efficient. They also want to see more jurisdictions link with California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires polluters to buy credits in order to emit greenhouse gases.
“It’s vital that we continue to look toward 2030 and ’50 and beyond,” said Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). “There’s still a great deal of work to do.”
“Any efforts to undermine our climate change policies is undermining our global leadership and the future of our economy in the state of California, and the world is watching,” said Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles). He said California’s environmental programs have helped create jobs and spur investment in clean technologies.
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